Epicurean Concept of the Week – Mpemba Effect – Hot Water Freezes Faster Than Cold Water

The Mpemba Effect is the verified scientific principle that hot water freezes faster than cold water. Perhaps if you were into science in school, you heard of this. Since I avoided science classes like the plague, I had a “no way!” reaction when I recently learned of this. So much for getting the water as cold as possible from the tap for ice cubes.

The Mpemba Effect apparently was first observed by Aristotle in the 4th century – he noted that ice fisherman would heat up water in order to get it to freeze faster. But it was named after a Tanzanian science student Erasto Mpemba who noticed that when making ice cream, the hot ingredient mixes would freeze faster than the cold ones.

It is completely illogical and seems to violate the basic principles of thermodynamics (what little I understand about thermodynamics). I am still not a science geek, so I won’t bore you with all of the data and principles, but in summary on a molecular level, hot water resembles frozen water more than it resembles cold water, thus the molecular conversion from liquid to solid is more efficient.

You can read more about the Mpemba Effect here. But suffice it to say, I will be swinging my tap to the warm side next time I make ice.